Blinker
Rye, grapefruit, and raspberry syrup — Duffy's 1934, Embury's 1948 'not too bad' dismissal, and Ted Haigh's 2004 Vintage Spirits recovery completing the trajectory.
- 2 ozrye whiskey
- ¾ ozfresh grapefruit juice
- ½ ozraspberry syrup
- grapefruit twistgarnish
- 1Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice
- 2Shake vigorously for 12-15 seconds
- 3Double strain into a chilled coupe glass
- 4Garnish with a grapefruit twist
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First published in Patrick Gavin Duffy's 1934 The Official Mixer's Manual, the Blinker is one of the few pre-Prohibition cocktails to feature grapefruit juice. Duffy's original recipe called for rye whiskey, grapefruit juice, and grenadine. The drink might have faded into obscurity had cocktail historian Ted Haigh, known as 'Dr. Cocktail,' not featured it in his landmark 2004 book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails. Haigh argued that grenadine and raspberry syrup were often interchangeable in 1930s bar manuals and swapped the former for the latter, producing a brighter, more vibrant drink. David Embury gave the original a lukewarm review in 1948, calling it 'not particularly good but not too bad.' Today's craft cocktail revival has embraced Haigh's raspberry-accented version as a rediscovered Depression-era gem.
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